


A Chat By Any Other Name

by InkyCoffee



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: All The Tropes, Don't pretend you come here for anything else, F/M, I am trash for these two finding each other, Identity Reveal, Much blushing, Rooftop Conversations, Tropes, Yes it's another reveal fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 16:18:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20799476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyCoffee/pseuds/InkyCoffee
Summary: "...I can’t talk about you to you. But I can’t talk about you to anyone else, either. Maybe I just need a third best friend.” She gave a short humorless laugh.He leaned back on his elbows, getting comfortable. “You can still talk to me. You can say anything you like, I promise that I will only take it as you venting and I won’t be upset or hurt or anything.”She gave him a long look out of the corner of her eye. “What if it’s not something that will upset you?”Chat Noir offers his Lady a listening ear.





	A Chat By Any Other Name

He purposely landed with enough noise behind her to alert her to his presence, but she didn’t turn around. Sliding into the space beside her on the roof top, he leaned forward a little, hoping to catch a glimpse of her face and get a clue about her mood. She sat staring unseeingly at the lights spreading before them, but he could detect no tear tracks or any attempt to hide them. Pensive, then, but not upset.

“Everything okay, My Lady?” He asked, bumping his shoulder lightly against hers.

“Chat, do you ever…” she began, then sighed. “Never mind.”

“You can tell me anything, My Lady,” he assured her. She turned her head to scrutinize him, those big blue eyes causing his heart to stutter.

“I wish I could, Chaton,” she said sadly. Then, before he could say anything, she added softly. “You’re my best friend, you know. I have a civilian best friend, too, but she doesn’t know anything about this side of me. You’re the only one who does.”

“Is it this side of you that’s bothering you, My Lady? Because I will listen to anything you want to share. It’s a best friend’s job, isn’t it? You’re my best friend, too,” he said, letting just a hint of playfulness seep through to cover up his true feelings. Friend. Of course she thought of him as a friend, but still, it stung when he wanted so much more for them. If that’s all she wanted, though… best friend was still a wonderful place to be in his Lady’s affections.

She blew out a long breath. “I want to, but it’s about you, Chat. I can’t talk about you to you. But I can’t talk about you to anyone else, either. Maybe I just need a third best friend.” She gave a short humorless laugh.

He leaned back on his elbows, getting comfortable. “You can still talk to me. You can say anything you like, I promise that I will only take it as you venting and I won’t be upset or hurt or anything.”

She gave him a long look out of the corner of her eye. “What if it’s not something that will upset you?”

He perked up immediately. “In that case, I definitely want to hear it!”

To his utter astonishment, she blushed. Huh.

“Okay. Okay, but just so you know, I’m talking to my best friend you, not _ you _ -you right now, okay?”

“Understood.”

“So… part of why I didn’t want to talk to you about it is because it’s about the guy I have a crush on. Are you sure you’re okay with me talking about him?” she looked at him anxiously.

_ No_, he wanted to say. _ No, I don’t want to hear about my competition, about the idiot who doesn’t realize he holds this amazing girl’s heart in his careless hands _ .

“I’m sure, My Lady. It’s what best friends are for, right?”

“Right. So… well, this guy. I fell for him the second day I knew him. Something happened and I thought he was being a jerk but then he apologised and explained and he’s honestly one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He’s… he’s wonderful. He’s smart, and he’s generous, and he tries to help everyone, even people who he doesn’t really like. He’s so encouraging. And he doesn’t get to do the things he wants to do all that much, because… well, family reasons, but you never ever hear him complaining. And yes he’s good looking, I mean, he’s literally a m… never mind about that. Point is, it’s not because of his looks, it’s because of who he is as a person. He looks out for everyone and he makes me think before I go rushing in and messing things up and I’m always such a mess around him, Chat. I can barely form a coherent sentence around him because I just think he’s so amazing and when I’m not being Ladybug I’m just kind of ordinary, you know? I stutter and I trip over or bump into everything, and he’s so kind about it even though he must secretly think I’m a little weird but I just… I just think he’s wonderful. I think I’m in love with him, and I think I have been for some time.” She paused and took a deep breath, and he nodded for her to go on, even as his heart felt like it was being shredded with every word. Her cheeks pinked up as she continued after a moments pause.

“But then just lately… Lately there’s been this other guy in my head as well. He’s a bit of a pain, actually, has a terrible sense of humor, is always leaping into things without thinking things through… and he’s my best friend. He’s my partner. And I trust him more than… more than anyone. I trust him with me. I trust him with all of this I’m saying now. And he flirts a lot and for a really long time I thought he was just messing with me but I think he might actually _ like _ me, and that made me think that maybe I might actually like him. Thing is, though… he’s my best friend. He knows parts of me that no one else does, just like I know him. We have this ability to read each other without even using words. There’s no such thing as a little crush when it’s someone as close to you as that. Which means that I think I might be falling in love with him.” She met his eyes and his heart thudded. He wished he had been recording her words so that he could play them back, again and again. He was dreaming, surely. No way had she said… but she was still speaking.

“... And that’s what’s wrong. I’m rapidly falling for two boys and I never thought I would be the kind of person to do that. And I can’t seem to choose between them, so I can never date either of them because I can’t honestly tell either of them that they are the only one I feel like this about, and what kind of person does that make me?” she demanded, glaring out across the Parisian lights as if they had personally put her in this position.

It took him a moment to calm his heart enough to speak. _ Might be falling in love with him. Might be falling in love with him. Might be falling in love with him _ . She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, clearly nervous about his response. He closed his eyes, and thought of her and what she needed from him right now. His own heart could wait. Opening them again, he smiled at her gently.

“It makes you human, Ladybug. Love is hard, and staying in love with someone who doesn’t seem to like you back is hard, too. You were right, I do have feelings for you, but I won’t lie and say I haven’t been tempted to move on since you made it clear you weren’t interested. Especially lately, there’s this adorable girl who sits behind me in class who… well, if not for you, I would have noticed her ages ago, and I’ve been feeling guilty about that because I love you. So I understand. Although I do think you should ditch the other guy and date me. But since you said you can’t do that… I don’t know. Maybe things will work out somehow.”

“Like how?”

“I don’t know… like, the fun thing about not knowing each other’s identities is… maybe I am that guy you like, and you’re the adorable girl in my class? Wouldn’t that be something?”

She snorted. “Nope. No way. You two are nothing at all alike. Aside from looks, kind of.” She blushed again, and he was enchanted. “I must have a type. But anyway, there’s no way Adrien Agreste spends his evenings running across city rooftops in a catsuit, considering all the other things he has to do.”

All the air left his lungs. He felt hot and cold and a little bit like he might be sick or pass out.

“Adrien Agreste? The model?” he choked out, his voice little more than a squawk.

She slapped her hand over her mouth, her cheeks now matching the color of her suit. “I didn’t mean to say his name. And I told you, Kitty, it’s not because of his looks. It’s because he’s a kind person, and he’s so selfless even though he’s so busy.”

“And you know him. Personally.” He still sounded strangled.

“Yes. I’m not just a fangirl. We’re friends,” she said defensively.

“Good friends?” he prodded.

She slumped at that, hugging her knees to her chest. “I think so. I hope so. His best friend is dating my best friend, so we hang out a bit. But I’m such a mess around him that I have no idea if he actually likes me or just tolerates me for their sake.”

Chat Noir .exe has stopped working.

“Wait, wait, wait. Your best friend and his best friend?"

“Chat Noir are you just repeating everything I’m saying?”

He just stared at her, long and hard, trying to make sense of it all.

She couldn’t be…

...Could she?

Could it be that simple?

Only one way to find out.

He cleared his throat before he could speak. “What if I told you that the cute girl who I’m trying really hard not to have a crush on, who sits right behind me in class-- what if I told you her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” he whispered.

Her eyes grew round as she stared back at him, her face losing all color. She didn’t speak, and if it weren’t for the occasional blink, he would have worried.

“As for Adrien leaping around rooftops in a catsuit with everything else he has on,” he continued in a falsely casual tone that still carried a hint of his strangled panic, “What you need to understand is that most of his time is spent working on those pursuits alone in his room, where no one checks on him, so with the help of, well, something miraculous, it’s surprisingly easy for him to jump out the window.”

“Adrien?” she finally whispered, and he nodded.

“Plagg, claws in,” he said, and green light washed over him.

She seemed to shrink back into herself, something that ten minutes ago he would have sworn was impossible for Ladybug to do. Both her hands came up to cover her mouth, and those beautiful big blue eyes seemed to somehow become even bigger, darting between his face and the Kwami who had just appeared.

“Pigtails,” he said in greeting.

“Meep!” Ladybug replied.

Plagg turned to Adrien. “I remember her being more articulate than that. Did you break her?”

Adrien felt himself blush. “Not on purpose!” He opened his shirt, indicating to Plagg to hide. Plagg took a moment to glance around and shrug before disappearing.

“Marinette?” he tried.

Two big tears welled up in those beautiful eyes, and spilled over.

Oh no.

Oh, God.

Oh no.

Ladybug tears were the one thing he was not equipped to deal with. He would willingly slave for years, perform mighty deeds, do anything, but he could not handle his Lady crying. Nothing, he found, could shatter his heart so completely as the strongest, bravest person he knew reduced to tears.

Instinct alone had him bodily scooping her into his arms, settling her on his lap, and hugging her, murmuring soothing nothings into her hair. It was what his mother had done for him long ago, and after a moments hesitation, she curled into his chest, only the occasional hitch in her breath letting him know how she was doing. Her sobs were silent, and they wrecked him.

He didn’t stop swaying her until her breathing evening out. She reached up and wiped her eyes, then, finally, looked at him and tentatively wiped tears he didn’t realize he had been shedding from his cheeks. He caught her hand gently in his and pressed a tender kiss to her knuckles.

Her eyes practically bugged out of her head. _ Heh. Bugged _ . Then she blushed and ducked her head once more. It was so weird to see Marinette’s shyness coming out of Ladybug, but all kinds of things about both girls were starting to make sense to him.

“What’s the matter, Princess?” he asked tentatively.

She groaned, and burrowed into him. “That. You can’t do that with your face.”

He blinked. “Do what?”

“It’s bad enough that you’re you but now you’re him too and I’m never going to be a functioning human being again am I?”

“Huh?”

She huffed. “See? This is exactly my point.”

He had no idea what she was talking about, so he simply held her. “Marinette? Can I… see you? Please?”

She froze.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

His heart plummeted.

“Why not?” His voice was barely above a whisper, thick with disappointment.

She curled in on herself even further. “Because then you’ll know that Ladybug is just me.”

His grip on her tightened. “I already know that. And you’re not _just_ anything.”

Her head popped up, her eyes sad. “But then you’ll _ know _ -know it. And we’ve already established that Marinette acts a little weird, especially around Adrien.”

Relief flooded through him. It wasn’t because of any deficiency on his part, then. With it came a very Chat-like desire to tease his Lady. “...Because you’re in love with me, right?”  
  
Her face burned, and she ducked her head into his shoulder again with a yelp. “Shut up!”

He couldn’t help it. He turned his head so he could press a kiss to the top of hers. “You’re adorable,” he murmured more to himself than her, then grinned. “You think this is hard for you? My most treasured friend - don’t tell Nino - turned out to be my Lady. This is it. I’m done for. Gone. I’m never going to get a scrap of schoolwork done again because you sit right behind me where I can’t stare at you. I think it’s actually going to kill me.”

She snorted, more Ladybug than Marinette. Good, that’s what he had been hoping for. He had the feeling that his Lady’s true personality lay somewhere between the two personas he had seen, and he wanted to know all of her.

“Tikki, spots off.”

Pink light washed over her, revealing an adorably pajama-clad Marinette in his arms. A small red kwami with huge blue eyes popped out of her earring, nuzzled her cheek, then floated before him. “Hi Adrien, I’m Tikki! It’s good to finally meet you!”

Before Adrien could reply, Plagg phased through the fabric of his shirt. “Sugar cube!” he cried, zipping around her joyfully. “Can you believe these idiots?”  
  
“They had to sort it out for themselves, Plagg. You know that.”

“Took them long enough,” Plagg grumbled. “At least now they can be together.”

Adrien scowled at his Kwami’s lack of manners, though he couldn’t help secretly preening at the thought.

“That’s up to them. But they’ve found each other, and that’s a huge step,” Tikki said more judiciously.

Marinette straightened up. “But you told me we weren’t to know.”

Tikki floated down to touch Marinette’s cheek affectionately. “Eventually you were always going to discover one another, either in the suit or out of them. One of the things we look for when we seek out our Chosen are a matched pair - soulmates, if you will - because Plagg and I are strongest when our chosen are bonded to one another as we are.”

“So we’re fated to be together? Like we have no choice?” Marinette asked.

“Of course you have a choice! It just means that you are fated to cross paths and be very important to each other. Soulmates can be platonic as well as romantic. Sometimes our holders have been siblings or friends. Romantic pairings are the most volatile but they are the ones that often grow into the strongest pairings," Tikki explained.

Adrien shuffled, unconsciously trying to put space between himself and Marinette, and cleared his throat. "Is, uh, a romantic relationship not… well, what you're looking for?"

She turned her head to look at him, her mouth parting into a perfect <strike>kissable</strike> O. "N-No, not-- that wasn't what I-- I didn't mean…" She covered her face with her hands. Tikki flirted over and pressed one little stub against her chosen, but she looked at Adrien.

"I don't think you need to worry about that," she said to him quietly, and Marinette mutely waved one hand in a 'what she said' gesture. Adrien felt his cheeks burning in response, a red hot wave of longing coursing through him, and he drew her closer once more.

Tikki looked at the two heroes, then turned to her other half. "Come on, Plagg. Let's leave them to it for a few minutes. We'll be just over there,” she added reassuringly, grabbing Plagg who was grumbling something about witnessing kissy face, and flitting off to the far side of the roof where they could still be seen by the young couple, but so that they were granted the privacy they so desperately needed.

Silence followed their departure as the two teens studied each other. It was so weird, in a completely wonderful, eye opening kind of way, how he could read Marinette now. He had always been bothered by her complete shyness around him, worried that she had never really forgiven him for the gum thing when she was so at ease with everyone else, but now he found he could read Marinette’s body language the way he could read Ladybug’s. He could see her thoughts, predict her moves, tell exactly how she felt just from small things like the furrow of her brow, the tilt of her chin, the way her shoulders were slowly relaxing. Yet at the same time, while he held two major pieces to the mystery of this girl before him, he was now discovering for the first time how little he actually knew either side of her - and he wanted to know all of her more than he wanted to breathe.

Reaching one hand up to gently cup her cheek, he used his thumb to trace the skin where the outline of her mask should have been. Her blue, blue eyes, filled with awe as they met his, and she tentatively reached a hand up to his cheek, mirroring his action. He was gratified to feel the burn of her blush under his palm, but was also painfully aware that she could feel his.

“How did I not see you?” he whispered, more to himself than to her. “I’m such an idiot!”

She giggled, and his heart was flooded with light. “We both are,” she agreed, then sobered. “I kept turning you down because I was infatuated with, well, you. I’m so sorry, Chaton.”

He leaned his head into her palm. “I’m sorry I was so taken up with Ladybug I barely noticed Marinette. I must have hurt you, too. And-- oh, God, asking you for help with Kagami!” He slumped forward, burying his face in her neck, too humiliated to look her in the eye.

To his relief, she laughed. “Both idiots,” she repeated fondly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and carding her fingers through his hair. It was all he could do to stop himself from purring at the feeling. This was bliss.

“So what now?” he asked into her shoulder, unwilling to move from her ministrations but knowing he would never sleep if they left things unresolved.

She paused for a moment, then gave out a little chuckle as he moved his head in a ‘why did you stop’ motion. “So demanding,” she teased, then took a deep breath. “You mean… us?”

His head popped up so he could look her in the eye. Head scratches were nice, but this was important. “Yes.”

She chewed on her lip, looked away, and sighed. “Ladybug can’t date anyone.” She looked back up at him. “Neither should Chat Noir. Hawkmoth already knows we care about each other, but he can never find out just how much, or he could use it against us. And we can’t date civilians either, because if Chat Noir was seen kissing Marinette then Maman and Papa and Alya would become targets to get to Marinette to get to Chat Noir. And I can’t do this if the people I love aren’t safe. Neither can you, Kitty. And besides all that, can you imagine what I would have to deal with if Alya found out I had been kissing Chat Noir, especially if Chat and Ladybug are known to be dating?”

He frowned, unwilling to admit she might have some very valid points. “What are you saying?”

She smiled. “Just because we have to keep things professional when we’re in the suits, doesn’t mean we can’t date as Adrien and Marinette. I mean… if you were thinking of asking me, that is.” She blushed again. He wanted to spend his whole life basking in her blush. He leaned forward so his face was in hers, the way Chat did to Ladybug sometimes, only this time, she didn’t push him away.

“For the record, I am absolutely asking you out,” he said, then toned down the Chat to let her know he was being genuine. “I’m yours, Mari. I want to able to say you’re mine. Please?”

She bit her lip and nodded, their faces so close as she stared into his eyes that her nose bumped his, and all it took was the lightest touch of one hand to her hair to keep her steady, and he pressed his lips to hers.

He had expected fireworks, explosions, angels bursting into song, birds chorusing. What he got was better than that: a sense of peace, of rightness, of belonging and of _ home _ . The tentative brush of lips deepened, and all that existed was his Lady, his Marinette. She gave a little moan, and he was ruined for life. It wasn’t a duel or a battle, but rather both of them giving and receiving, partners here as on the battlefield, and he sank into her, offering her everything without reservation and cherishing all she returned.

Eventually, though, she shivered and pulled away. “It’s getting late, and we have school in the morning,” she whispered. He could see how little she wanted to go, but one of the things he loved about his Lady was her sense of responsibility.  
  
“I know you’re right, but I don’t want to go,” he said, and she smiled at him, kissing his cheek even as she unwillingly extricated herself from his arms.

“It’s just for the night. And we can spend the whole day in school together.” She smiled as they both stood and stretched, then he reeled her back into his arms.

“But that’s not til tomorrow,” he pouted at her. “Can’t I, I don’t know, marry you or something? Then I could stay with you tonight too.”

She laughed, and booped his nose. “Silly Kitty, we’re far too young and this is far too new for that kind of talk. We’re still in school!”  
  
He kissed her, and looked into her eyes. “I mean it, though!”

“Not until we’re at least out of high school. Good night, Adrien,” she added firmly, rolling her eyes. “Tikki, are you ready? Spots on!”  
  
He watched her transformation, mesmerized, not even trying to hide the lovesick look on his face. He felt Plagg land on his shoulder, and ignored the Kwami’s irritated sigh.

“Do I at least get to tell everyone you’re mine?” he called to her as she turned to go. She grinned over her shoulder at him.  
  
“Absolutely,” she said, and swung off into the darkness.

“We have to be at school early tomorrow, Plagg,” he said to his Kwami, who huffed. “Claws out!”

* * *

He drummed his fingers on the car door on the way to school that morning, bounced his knee, wriggled in his seat, trying to remind himself that his _ girlfriend_, his beautiful, amazing Buginette, was rarely on time for school, let alone twenty minutes early. Still, he could wait for her on the steps, and if she wasn’t drastically late, he could walk her into class, and hold her hand the whole way in. That thought alone was enough to make him sigh dreamily, just as the car pulled up to the curb.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he glanced up as he climbed out of the car - and lo and behold, his angel was already there, leaning against the wall, waiting patiently. Their eyes met, and joy bubbled through his veins. Slinging on his backpack, he remembered himself enough to mutter a quick thanks to Gorilla, before racing towards his Lady…

...Only to stop short as Lila appeared in front of him, blinking up at him in that weird way girls sometimes do, getting right in his path and preventing him from kissing Marinette good morning.

“Good morning, Adrien! I’m so glad you’re here, I wanted to talk to you about something. I’ve been waiting for you!” she said, reaching out to squeeze his arm. Adrien repressed a groan. He was so tired of having to be polite to everyone. Surely she could wait just a moment?

“Sure thing, Lila. Just give me one second, I have something very important to do first that I’ve been looking forward to since yesterday,” he said as politely as he could, shaking off her grip and ducking around her.

Marinette’s brow had furrowed during the interchange, but cleared as he reached her, and he basked in his Lady’s smile even as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Good morning, Princess,” he said, dipping down so he could take her mouth with his. Her lips tasted of toothpaste and coffee, and he sighed, reaching up to cup her cheek as they broke apart. “I missed you.”

“You only saw me yesterday, Minou,” she said with a giggle, bumping her nose against his. He straightened up to his full height, pulling her firmly into his arms so that she had to lean her head against his shoulder, their arms banded around each other.

Turning his head, he found Lila gaping at them. Oh, that’s right, she wanted something. He grinned at her sheepishly even as he rested his chin on Marinette’s head - a subtle dig at her height he knew his partner needed no words to pick up on. “Sorry, Lila, I just needed to bring my heart back into proximity with my chest.”

Marinette poked him in the side and he yelped, unable to suppress his grin.

“What’s going on here? Are you two _ dating _ ?” Lila spat.

Adrien squeezed his girlfriend as she huffed at Lila’s disbelieving tone. _ I got this _ , he communicated with no words. She cuddled into him. _ I trust you _ , her body language replied. It was amazing how clearly they were attuned to each other after fighting together for so long.

“Sadly, yes,” Adrien answered the interloper with a sober nod.  
  
In his arms, Marinette froze, tense, then slowly, slowly, began to pull away from him, her eyes averted. He kept his arms around her firmly, not letting her escape, as Lila walked right into the trap he had set, her eyes lighting with malicious glee.  
  
“Sadly?” she echoed, a smug smile spreading on her face.

Marinette had managed to get her arms up between them and was now trying to break from his hold. Enough of this. He ignored Lila and focused entirely on Marinette. Keeping one arm banded around her waist, he cupped her cheek so that she was forced to meet his gaze, her eyes showing her hurt. _ Oh, Princess, surely you know me better than that _ .

“Sadly,” he confirmed, looking down at his partner with all the love he felt for this extraordinary young woman, so kind and so strong and so selfless and so wonderful, the most beautiful soul he knew. “Sadly because she insists it’s too early for me to propose. Something about waiting at least until we’re out of high school? I would drop to one knee this second if she’d let me.”

It was all he could do not to burst out laughing at the infuriated glare his Lady was giving him, especially as she was trying very hard not to go all gooey-eyed, but he needed Lila, and anyone else who might be listening, to understand where he stood.

“She is my heart and my home. She’s the one thing I would give up the world for. She’s it for me. There’s never going to be anyone else. We’re going to grow old together, and I’m going to live every day proving that I am worthy of the amazing gift she is.”

A single tear rolled down Marinette’s cheek, but before he could wipe it away, she had surged onto her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and fused her mouth to his. The world fell away, and all that existed was Marinette. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
